Fremont County Board of Commissioners OKs hemp processing in Penrose

The total motor vehicle fees, sales taxes and recording fees collected in February was $992,700. Fremont County's portion for disbursement was $586,521, which is 59 percent of the total fees. This is $20,352 more than was collected in February 2017.

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners approved a request Tuesday for a Special Review Use to allow hemp processing in the former Crossroads Event Center in Penrose.

The request was submitted by William Peetz of WHP Crossroads LLC and was recommended for approval — with contingencies — by the Fremont County Planning Commission in February.

The light industrial use is proposed for less than 3,000 square feet of the storage room in the lower level of the north end of the building, according to Peetz' application. The actual industrial footprint for the processor is about 35 square feet, typically a two-person operation.

Peetz' representative, Dr. Angela Bellantoni, said hemp — a seasonal, outdoor crop — is regulated by the Department of Agriculture and must contain less than 0.3 percent by weight THC, which is the psychoactive element of marijuana. She said hemp offers the medical benefit of CBD oil, without the THC.

The hemp is harvested from the field, dried and then processed by extracting cannabidiol. Peetz will use a vacuum rotary evaporator — not pressure — to pull the solvent out to be recycled.

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Bellantoni explained the process using a PowerPoint presentation and answered questions raised by a bordering landowner about solvents, odor, traffic, expansion and facility use.

Commissioner Debbie Bell said her concern pertained to the facility's restaurant should it reopen one day. The board approved the SRU with the condition that should the restaurant reopen, it would have to be approved by the board. The event center also will no longer be allowed for events.

"We are disappointed to see it going away as an opportunity for the community to be used, but this is really not our choice to say 'You have to use it as an arena or as a restaurant and to do business that way,'" she said. "We also may not always like the choices that are made for businesses, but when the community can't support a business, I understand sometimes it has to go away."

In other business, the board:

— Approved a waiver for a $100 late fee for Prospectors RV Park.

— Approved a subdivision exemption for property located north of U.S. 50 at Texas Creek to create a one-acre parcel to be granted to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for public access to the river.

— Approved a request for a final plat and planned unit development for Cranberry Park Subdivision.

— Approved a modification of an optional premises cultivation for Pure Medical to allow for canopies to be built over the existing grow area.

— Approved a modification of premises for Levity Wellness to expand the current grow area to five acres and to allow for the use of an existing building for a video room.

— Approved amendments to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution regarding the following changes: Adding dwelling, multi-family to the Business Zone District; adding solar panel field to the Business Zone District; changing watchman's quarters to allow for detached residences, this will be throughout the zoning resolution in all instances; allowing for storage containers to be used for storage of items other than agricultural items; and adding Slaughterhouse and Solar Panel Field to Special Review Uses in the Industrial Park Zone District.

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